Learn To Focus On The Job

Sounds simple enough, but when — if ever — do we take the time to free ourselves from the inherent distractions of the office environment? You may have what you consider to be an efficient system of getting work done. Odds are however, that you could be doing a whole lot more to eliminate outside interference. Think about your average day at work: How much time do you spend on actual tasks, as opposed to responding to e-mail, making phone calls, talking by the water cooler, taking a cigarette break, or flirting with the new girl in Finance?

No matter how stellar your production, there is always room for improvement. Consider the following a simple guide to streamline your basic workday.

the value of sleep

So you are not your optimum in the morning. Who is? The problem could be your sleeping pattern. Common sense, as well as medical research, suggests that the quality of rest you get on a given night will determine the type of mental acuity you have the next day.

As a nocturnal creature by nature, I can sympathize with the night owls out there. The basis of a poor or unconventional snooze pattern is, for the most part, a mental block that can be overcome with a resolute conviction to change.

Take it one night at a time and try to set a standard hour by which you are tucked into bed. Having a television in the bedroom is a definite negative, as it can be a major deterrent to sleep. Once the NBA highlight package on ESPN is done, turn off the tube and settle down for the night.

start your morning off right

The routine is all too common. You hit the snooze button a few times and leap out of bed in a panic. After a quick shower and shave, you throw on a wrinkled outfit that is in dire need of a dry clean. If you have time, maybe you grab a cereal bar and an apple. Who has time to sit and enjoy the morning paper, let alone a decent breakfast? Not you, because you had to push it, all in the name of a few extra minutes of precious sleep.

But as you jump into your car and contemplate fighting traffic in an attempt to get to work no more than fifteen minutes late, your heart rate is through the roof. Why do we do it? If you have set a decent sleep schedule for yourself, the logical step to follow would be to arrange a morning routine that empowers you with time. Time to groom, time to sit down to a good breakfast, time to read the newspaper and if you are a real star, time to do a few sets of abdominal crunches and bicep curls.

In fact, an exercise and stretch routine in the morning is an excellent way to prime yourself for the imminent job stress you will encounter that day. The point is to start the day off ensconced in the comfort of your home environment, before joining the rat race of the real world.

Distractions are the worst, especially that babe in the cubicle next to yours...